


Just One Summer

by arc_shield



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Beaches, Bisexual Steve Rogers, Love, M/M, Marvel Universe, Romance, Summer, Teen Romance, Teenagers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-15
Updated: 2018-12-03
Packaged: 2019-08-24 00:26:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16629338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arc_shield/pseuds/arc_shield
Summary: Steve didn't believe in mermaids; they were stories and legends that people tell to kids during bedtime. Steve was almost eighteen.Everything changes when he meets a quirky, human loving, dork of a mermaid named Tony. Ah, summer romance.





	1. Summer

Steve closed his eyes while the safety video played on the small, crappy plane screen. His parents always insisted on sending away for the summer and this time he was being forced to stay with some distant cousin he had never met in California. As soon as June 1st had rolled around, they bought him a coach plane ticket and sent him on his way.

Steve thought that maybe this trip could give him time to come up with a plan for the future. Unlike his friends, Steve had no future he was set on; he was pretty good at a lot of things, but not amazing at just one thing. The only thing that Steve could almost qualify was his love for art. His parents hadn’t been to happy with that idea.

The plane took off leaving the city skyline in the distance. Steve sighed and popped in some headphones to watch whatever movies they were offering for free. The hours passed quickly, and Steve finally landed at the John Wayne airport in Santa Ana where his cousin Peggy would be picking him up. She was only three years older than Steve, but he was told her family was rich and could afford for her to have her own house in a small beach town near San Clemente.

Steve moved sluggishly through the throngs of people in shorts and flip flops to the pick up area outside. He glanced at his phone to see that it was 8:45 am. He scanned the crowds a bit before seeing a short brunette with bright red lipstick and a sign with his name scribbled on it with a smiley face.

He walked over and said, “Are you Peggy Carter?”

“Are you Steve Rogers?” A British accent retorted back at him.

“Yeah, I am.”

“Well, it’s lovely to meet you Steve.” Peggy extended her hand and shook with a firm grip. “Can I help you with that?” Peggy pointed at the large suitcase Steve was carrying with him.

Though Steve appreciated the gesture, he had gone through quite the growth spurt and could carry the bag with ease, “I’m okay, thanks.”

“Follow me then.”

Peggy led them to the parking garage where her blue BMW convertible was lounging among the other cars. She popped open the trunk and Steve threw his suitcase and backpack in the back and climbed into the front seat next to Peggy. She had thrown her hair into a ponytail and had begun to re-apply her lipstick. She put on a pair on red sunglasses and handed Steve his own.

“Alrighty. Let’s get going.”

Peggy sped out the airport and down the highway. The drive took about an hour. They made some awkward conversation, but couldn’t talk much as the wind was too loud. When they arrived at Peggy’s house, Steve’s mouth fell open. It was a modern, one story house right on the beach. It had large windows and salmon colored walls. The tall, oak door loomed over them as Peggy fumbled in her purse to find the keys. She picked up a ring with many fluffy accessories and keys and unlocked the door with a click.

“So, Steve. Your room is down that hallway and on the left. The bathroom is across the hall. My room is downstairs: off limits. I work most days so I will be out of the house. You may go where you please, but either send me a text or a leave a note if you plan to stay out all night. I’m a very easy-going person by nature, but will kick some arse if needed.” Peggy gave Steve a threatening glance. “You seem like a nice kid, Steve. I have to go to work right now, but feel free to explore the beach or the city. I’ll be home by 7:30.”

“Thanks.” Steve replied, a bit confused.

“Try to keep tonight open. I’m making dinner.”

“Sure thing.”

“You don’t say much, do you?”

“What is there to say?”

“Good point. See you later, Steve!”

“Bye.”

Peggy smiled and closed the door. He heard the engine turn on and slowly fade as Peggy drove away. Steve sighed and made his way to his room. The room was a light grey color with a queen size bed against the wall. There was a small desk next to large glass double doors that led to a balcony overlooking the beach. The walls were adorned with various ocean themed decorations and prints. The bed had blue sheets and a lighter blue rug underneath.

Steve shoved his clothing into the dresser and put his backpack on the desk. Steve sighed and muttered, “I guess this is home.”

The flight was an early morning one and Steve hadn’t slept much the night before or on the plane. Exhaustion had set in and Steve felt like passing out. Steve changed into sweatpants and flopped onto his bed. After a few minutes of mindlessly scrolling through Instagram, Steve fell asleep.  
When Steve woke up, it was sometime after 1. He lazily got up and changed into swim trunks, grabbed a towel and his sketchbook, and went to the beach. Steve decided to get in some drawing before exploring the rest of the city. Steve was welcomed by the warm California heat mixed with the cool sea breeze.

The sand felt hot under his feet so he moved quickly to find a spot to sit. The beach wasn’t very crowded on that Tuesday afternoon, but there were enough people to be subjects of Steve’s drawings. There were kids playing in the waves and parents desperately trying to keep their kids out of trouble. They all became immortalized in the little sketchbook.

When Steve got bored of lounging around, he decided to take a walk down the beach. It was a nice day, but he had no interest in swimming. Steve never understood the fascination with the ocean. Maybe it was because he had grown up in a place where the beach wasn’t super prevalent, but Steve preferred land.

Steve slowly glided down the coast watching clouds float by and families enjoying the weather. The sand felt muddy and warm under his feet and the afternoon sun was beating down on his neck. The walk was nice, but Steve was getting to a patch of rocks he was not sure he could cross. He approached cautiously and saw that there was a cove if he climbed over them.

Steve look around to make sure he wasn’t breaking any rules and began to climb. Steve scaled it with ease as the boulder wasn’t very tall. He dropped onto the sand and looked out at his surroundings.

The shallow water came up pretty high into the cove, but there was still room to walk around. The water was clear and turquoise and made Steve feel happy. He didn’t know why, but something put his mind at peace.

Steve sat on a small rock towards the center and closed his eyes. He listened to the waves crashing and seagulls calling to one another. Steve may not have loved the beach, but he sure loved being outside.

Steve sat, listening to the waves for a few more moments before hearing a small gasp. Steve’s eyes shot open and he scanned the area for other people.

“Hello?” Steve called out, but no one answered. He shook his head and closed his eyes again, returning to his meditation. The world felt still and Steve finally felt relaxed for the first time in months; though he didn’t dare admit it, Steve was afraid of the future and how lost he felt when it would come up in conversation.

Steve once again heard strange noises coming from in front of him, but when he opened his eyes he saw a face hiding behind a rock on the border of the cove. The face was young, about the same as Steve (if he guessed correctly), a boy (probably) with brown, curly hair that flopped everywhere, and big—beautiful—brown eyes that stared at him intently. Steve was immediately infatuated. He wanted to say something but nothing would come out of his mouth. The boy blinked, and disappeared into (what seemed like) thin air.

Steve tried calling after him, but didn’t know what to say or how to get his attention. Confusion hung over Steve as he tried to decide whether he had really seen that boy or whether he was just a figment of Steve’s imagination. The phone in Steve’s pocket started buzzing and Steve saw his mom’s picture on the screen.

“Hi Mom.”

The high pitched shrill of his mom’s voice rung over the phone, “Hi Stevie! How’s California?”

“Good.”

“Did you land okay? Was Peggy there to get you?”

“Yes, Mom. I’m fine, don’t worry.”

“Well when you didn’t send any confirmation of your arrival I started getting worried.”

“Really I’m fine,” Steve sighed.

“Honey, I know we’ve been tough on you lately, but it’s only because we love you and we want the best for your future.”

“Can we not talk about that right now? Please?”

“Okay. I just wanted to call and see how you were doing, that’s all.”

“I’m doing well mom.”

“Well, I guess I have nothing else to say.”

“Okay. See you in August.”

“See you in August. I love you, Steve.”

“Love you too.”

Steve hung up the phone and looked out at the spot where he saw the face, but nothing was there. Steve sighed and rubbed his eyes. He was obviously still just tired from the flight. Steve left the cove trying to engrain the face into his mind so he could draw it. He picked up his things, shoved them in his backpack and walked back to Peggy’s house.

_____

That night, Peggy and Steve had dinner together. Peggy made spaghetti and meatballs and forced Steve to watch cheesy movies with her. As the night went on, Steve got to know Peggy a lot better.

First thing he learned was that Peggy had been in the military as a high ranking officer, but had to come back due to a severe back injury. She lived in the town because the doctors recommended she didn’t live in a big city that could trigger her PTSD.

Next thing, Peggy could read people easily and had figured out Steve in less than a minute. She figured out what was making Steve look constipated and gave him some advice.

“The future is a scary thing, Steve, but you can either get left behind or keep moving forward.” She winked at that last part.

Last, was that Peggy believed in mermaids.

“You believe in mermaids?” Steve asked laughing.

“You don’t?” Peggy said with a smile on her face.

“I don’t believe in half fish half human hybrids who live in the ocean, which is extremely unrealistic, by the way, because below a couple hundred feet there is no light! Also how would scientists miss them for this long?”

“Man, Steve. You can’t go around saying stuff like that! You don’t know what the locals have seen!” Peggy’s face grew serious as she cleared the plates from the table.

Steve crossed his arms and replied, “Fine, enlighten me.”

“Well, a long time ago, it was said that there was a boy about seventeen years old who came to the beach every day and surfed. One day he was part of a surfing competition but the waves were rough! He tried his best to stay on, but got knocked down by a wave!”

Peggy was flailing her arms and Steve was laughing at her. She flicked water at him to make him stop and continued, “He got knocked down! And was lost at sea for five days. When they finally found him he had washed up on the beach completely unharmed except for bruised pride. They asked him how he was alive and he said, ‘It was the mermaid’s kiss that did it.’”

Steve rolled his eyes, “Ah yes! The mermaid’s kiss!”

Peggy threw her dishrag at him, “SHUSH! I'M TRYING TO TELL YOU A STORY! Okay, anyway, no one believed him at first and dismissed him. He showed them a strange mark on his lower back, but everyone brushed it off as a bruise. That was until a large yacht went out to sea on a stormy night!”

“This is starting to sound the beginning of a Gilligan’s Island episode.”

“Steve I swear to god if you interrupt me one more time, I’m kicking you out of this house!”

“Okay, I’m sorry.” Steve threw up his hands in defense and piped down.

Peggy eyed him fiercely. “Okay, the boat went out to sea and was tossed and whipped by the waves. It crashed and sunk, presumably killing the thirteen people on board. That was until they all washed up on shore a few days later just like the boy had: unharmed, with a mark on their lower backs, and talking about a mermaid’s kiss!

“The town started believing in mermaids, even if there was no real proof they exist! So now the legend says if you get hurt in the sea the mermaids will protect you. Always be on the lookout for the flip of a tail because it’s good luck! Who knows Steve, maybe even you will see a mermaid during your stay.” Peggy giggled and turned back to the dishes.

“I seriously doubt that.”

“Never say never, Steven.” Peggy glanced at her watch, “Now off to bed with you. I have to get up early and you look exhausted.”

“Really? A bedtime?”

“Are you arguing with me?”

Steve looked down at his lap, “No.”

“Good night then. Also, I suggest you go into town tomorrow if you don’t believe my story. Go to Sandy’s Bakery for lunch and tell them I sent you. Ask about the mermaids!” And with that Peggy was gone leaving Steve in the kitchen alone.

Steve yawned and walked to his room. He wrote down “go to bakery” on his hand before falling onto his bed. He took a minute to process everything that had happened. Steve took the advice he got and locked it up in his brain for safe keeping. Steve sighed and closed his eyes. Sleep came easily and he was gone within minutes.

The next morning Steve woke up around 6:30 to the sun barely shining into his room. He was still jet lagged from the time difference and sat up bitterly. Steve trudged into the kitchen to see Peggy making herself toaster waffles.

“Well you’re up early,” she said without turning around.

“Yeah, still on that New York time. This would be a reasonable time for me to wake up if I wasn’t here.” Steve plopped down on one of the stools at the island.

Peggy handed Steve a glass of water and orange juice.

“Water first, the whole thing. Then you may have some orange juice.”

Steve didn’t feel like questioning her logic and followed the instructions. One he had drank the full glass of water he began sipping at his OJ.

“What are your plans for today Steve?”

Steve put down his glass and said, “Probably going into town like you suggested and getting a feel for the local customs and stuff.”

“Well, shops don’t open until 9:30 so you have some time before you go.”

Steve closed his eyes and rested his chin in his hands, “Might sleep or draw or go for a run on the beach or something.”

Peggy patted him on the shoulder, “Would love to stay and chat, but I have to go to work.”

“At this hour?”

“Well, my drive usually takes about an hour depending on traffic and I get a coffee or tea before I go in. Sometimes I’ll do my makeup so I don’t look so tired. By the time that’s all done, I don’t actually get to work until like 8:30 or so.”

Steve shook his head, “Sounds fun.”

“Very.” Peggy was about the leave, but she turned and said, “Erm, Steve, I’m going to be late tonight so feel free to either order food or eat whatever’s in the fridge. My day off is tomorrow so we’re hanging out. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Bye Peg.”

“Bye!”

The big oak door shut behind her with a thud. Steve finished his juice and went to kill some time. The boy had been occupying his thoughts since he saw him, so Steve decided to go to the cove. He felt like he needed to go back and make sure he wasn’t imaging. Steve threw on some shorts and his running shoes and put his sketchbook in a small drawstring bag.

Steve stepped out into the cool beach air and heard the waves lazily lapping in front of him. Steve put his headphones in and began his run down the beach. It wasn’t a very long run, maybe ten or fifteen minutes at most, but Steve didn’t really care about the exercise. When he reached the cove he climbed over the familiar rock and found himself in the same place as yesterday. On the rock where he had been sitting was a small, colorful seashell with strange markings on it. Steve hadn’t seen anything like it before. He looked around to see if he could find the person who left it or any sign that someone had been there, but there were no footsteps or any signs of life. Steve put the shell into his bag and sighed. He sat on the rock and drew the face over and over again trying to remember a new detail each time. Steve didn’t know why this face had intrigued him so much.

After an hour of drawing and thinking Steve decided to leave one of the sketches of the face. He knew it was a silly sentiment, but maybe someone would fine it and recognize him.

Steve left the cove and made his way back to Peggy’s house. This time he didn’t run fast but slowly jogged and enjoyed the quiet morning. Steve watched the ocean and thought he saw a tail that was too big to be a fish, but too small for a whale. Steve recalled Peggy’s story about seeing a mermaid tail. Steve brushed it off as a dolphin tail or simply his imagination.

When he returned to the house he showered and got ready to go explore the city. He made sure to keep the shell on him to compare to the knicknacks they had in their stores. Steve grabbed his wallet and headed out. He had no car so he walked the three miles in.

Steve approached the town’s center and could see it had many buildings painted turquoise, yellow, or pink. It all felt fake as Steve passed friends getting coffee and children running around unattended. There was a long pier lined with small stands. It was completely unlike New York, but Steve kind of liked it. On Steve’s left was a small building that was the “Mermaid Museum” which apparently documented the sightings over the years and had real artifacts. Steve chuckled to himself and bought a ticket.

He put in his headphones and slowly made his way through the exhibits. It wasn’t very large, but Steve took his time studying the pictures and learning about different legends and stories. He also used this time to sketch what he saw.

As Steve was looking at a “mermaid bone” a small kid was tugging on his shirt. Steve took out his headphones and looked at the kid. He was about seven or eight with light brown hair and freckles.

“Hey kid, what’s up? Did you lose your mom?”

“Who are you?”

“Um, I’m Steve.”

The kid stared up at him, “You’re new around here.”

“Yes, that’s true. How’d you know that?”

“Everyone knows everyone around here and you’re not from here.”

“What’s your name kid?”

“My name’s Peter.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Peter. Where are your parents?”

“At work.”

“And you’re alone?”

“Yup.”

In his head Steve was questioning the logic, but he guessed it was part of the town’s charm.

The little kid smiled and said, “Do you want me to show you around?”

Steve was caught off guard but managed to reply with, “Uh, sure?”

Peter grabbed Steve’s hand and led him out of the museum claiming that it was lame. Peter took him right next door into what looked like a tourist trap mixed with an antique store. There were all items imaginable but with mermaids on them. Peggy hadn’t been kidding when she said the town really liked mermaids. Peter picked up a light blue hat with a mermaid on it and handed it to Steve.

“This is so you’ll blend in.”

Steve laughed and paid for the hat. Peter led Steve around town and showed him everything from post offices to fish restaurants and bathrooms. At every place they went, Peter had a sarcastic comment or funny story. They moved to the pier where they admired every stand and went all the way to the end to look at the art work.  
Once it was lunchtime, Steve asked, “Can you take me to Sandy’s Bakery?

Peter look at Steve with confused eyes, “How do you know about that place?”

“My cousin told me about it.”

“Who’s your cousin?”

“Peggy Carter. She lives a few miles down.”

“Peggy is your cousin?”

“Yeah why?”

“She used to be my babysitter and throws the coolest Halloween parties.”

“Peggy grew up around here?”

“Yeah, but she moved to England when she was little. They moved back when Peggy was fifteen. Then she went off to join the army.”

“Interesting.” Steve hadn’t known that Peggy had grown up here as well. “Can we go?”

Peter hopped off the dolphin statue he was sitting on and led Steve back up the pier. They made a right and followed the beach for a bit until they reached a hole in the wall type place with a bright sign that read “Sandy’s Bakery.” Peter pulled the door open and Steve was welcomed by the smell of bread and cookies.

“Peter! I’m so glad you’re here!” A woman’s voice yelled from behind the counter. “How’s May?”

“She’s doing well.”

“How about you, sweet pea?”

“I’m doing okay, thank you.”

Sandy popped up and saw Steve standing with Peter, “Well who’s this handsome fella?”

Sandy had dark skin and her curly hair was pulled back into a bun. She looked like she was in her mid forties, but Steve couldn’t be sure and didn’t want to ask. Her smile and eyes radiated warmth and love.

“This is Steve. He’s from New York.”

“Well hi there, Steve from New York. What brings you to our sleepy town?”

Peter interrupted before Steve could answer, “He’s staying with Peggy.”

“Peggy? Carter? You two are related?”

Steve laughed, “Yeah. Distant cousins. My parents don’t like me just hanging around at home during the summer so they send me somewhere with some relative I’ve never met.”

“Well I’m so glad you could join us. What can I get you boys to eat?”

“Two of your Sandy’s sandwiches please!” Peter said cheerfully and went to a table near the window.

Steve shrugged and walked up to the counter where Sandy had started making their sandwiches.

“What can I do for you, Steve?”

“Well, Peggy sent me down and told me to ask you about mermaids…?”

“She did? Oh I have taught her well! Well Mr.—”

“Rogers. Steve Rogers.”

“Well, Mr. Rogers, Peggy only sends down non believers. You don’t believe in mermaids?”

“Not really.”

“Well let me tell you a story. A long time ago, before you were born, I was young. I was carefree and careless. I went out on a boat with my friends. We didn’t think twice about it. It got dark, we were going to rely on the lighthouse to guide us. That night, there was a power outage and we crashed. I personally thought I was going to die.

“Then they came. They rescued us, healed us, sent us on our way. I don’t remember much, but what I remember is that mermaids saved my life and I got a weird mark on my back. And my camera managed to get one photo that I believe is proof.”

Out of her apron, she pulled a small polaroid of a blur of colors and shapes. Steve could make out the vague shape of a tail and people on a boat.

Sandy continued her story, “I became obsessed and tried to learn everything I could. I even saw one once. No one believed me, but I know what I saw. I gave up on my search and now run a sandwich shop and tell my story to those who ask.” She winked at Steve.

Steve nodded and remembered the shell in his bag, “Since you seem to be the expert, could you look at something I found on the beach?”

“Of course, but after you eat!” Sandy shoved the plates into Steve’s hands and waved him away.

Peter and Steve ate happily. Steve watched the crowds of people walk by. His mind floated around. He wondered if anything that he had heard was real, but decided not to question Sandy.

Once they finished eating, Sandy pulled a chair up to their table, “Show me what you got, sugar.”

“Don’t you have to run the store?” Steve asked, confused.

“Yes, but a lady can’t take a five minute break?”

“Oh, I guess. Um, here.” Steve pulled out the shell and handed it to Sandy. “I found it in a cove by Peggy’s house.”

Sandy took it and examined it. She smiled fondly at Steve and said, “I think you’ve caught the attention of a mermaid.”

“What?”

“This looks like a present from a mermaid. Stories say that when you get noticed by a mermaid, they like to leave little presents like shells and things. Did you leave anything back?’

Steve though for a second and realized, “Not really. I mean I left a drawing, but that’s it.”

Peter and Sandy both stared at Steve. Sandy asked, shocked, “You draw?”

“Yeah, it’s kinda my thing. Not that my parents think it is, but I think it is.” Steve felt his cheeks going red. He didn’t really tell people he drew because they then he set expectations that he didn’t feel he could meet.

“Can we see one?” Peter said excitedly.

“Sure.” Steve pulled out his sketchbook and placed it on the table.

Sandy and Peter spent a good ten minutes flipping through the book admiring all the drawings that Steve had done. When they reached the face Sandy gasped.

“I’ve seen that face before, but I don’t know remember where I saw it.” Sandy scrunched her face and stared at the drawing. “I can’t think of it right now, but these are amazing Steve! You should submit some to our arts festival!”

“What arts festival?”

“Well, every second week of July, our town has an arts festival where anyone and everyone can submit paintings, sculptures, photos, and drawings to be displayed and auctioned off. All the money goes to public school. It’s a big town thing. I bet they’d love to have your art.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Amazing!” Sandy glanced up at the clock on the wall, “Oh no! I have to get back.” Before she left she said, “You have a gift, Steve: don’t let it go to waste. Thanks for coming down, boys. Peter, tell May I say hi!”

“I will. Bye, Sandy.”

They left the shop and Peter asked to go to the cove.

“Why would you want to go there?”

“I want to find a mermaid.”

“Seriously?”

“Yup.”

Steve paused and thought about it. “Fine. You can come.”

“Awesome!”

Steve led Peter back toward Peggy’s house. They cut across and down to the beach where it began to look more familiar to Steve. When they approached the edge of the cove Steve stopped and turned to Peter.

“I have some rules.”

“What? You don’t even own the cove! How can you make rules?”

“I discovered it first. I get to make rules: Rule number one, don’t speak of this cove to anyone. This is between me, you, and Sandy. I get that people can come over here if they want, but I don’t want big crowds of people over here cause you guys think there is some mermaid. Got it?”

“Got it.”

“Rule number two, you are young and vulnerable. Don’t come out here without someone watching you. Okay?”

Peter rolled his eyes, “Ugh, fine. Is that it?”

“Yup. Follow me.”

Steve and Peter climbed the rock and dropped onto the sand on the other side of the cove. Steve’s note was gone, but nothing was left in return. Steve looked all around the rock hoping to see something left there for him, but nothing was there. Maybe the shell just washed up here.

Peter explored the area picking up shells and rocks and playing in the water. Though he seemed grown up, Peter was still a kid and Steve forgot that sometimes. When he found nothing, Peter happily began building a small sand castle.

Steve sat on the rock and stared at the ocean. It was a beautiful day with not a cloud in the sky. They hung out there for a while before Peter asked the time.

“It’s about 4:15. Why?”

“Whoops, I have a piano lesson at 4:30.”

“Peter you gotta go! Do you want me to take you back?”

“No, that’s okay. I have a friend who lives a few houses down who’s mom can drive me.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yup. It was nice to meet you Steve. I’ll see you around.”

“Yeah. See you, Pete.”

Steve was now alone in the cove. Even though he didn’t want to admit it, he almost hoped that the mermaids had been real or that he would be able to find the face again. He wanted to be able to believe in these stupid town stories and feel apart of something. And he also wanted it to be real because it meant that he had caught the attention of a mermaid. That part him feel special. Steve sighed and left the cove. It was probably all just my imagination.

______

A couple weeks passed by before Steve returned to the cove. He had been quite busy with Peggy and Peter and Sandy. Peggy took him places like Knott’s Berry Farm and Disneyland while Peter insisted they play on the beach and Sandy wanted Steve to work on his art for the festival. He barely had time to see if anyone left something for him in return. Though he was grateful for all the adventures and memories, Steve still thought about the face and the boy.

One Saturday morning, Peggy had work and Peter had a playdate so Steve had the day to himself. He put on his swim trunks, some flip flops, and put his sketchbook and sea shell in his bag. He felt weird returning to the cove and made sure not to get his hopes up for seeing anything. He made his way down the beach smiling at the familiar faces he now knew. Some people even stopped him to chat. They would ask about school and New York and his art. Steve appreciated the gesture, but ended the conversations quickly and kept walking.

When Steve reached the rock, he stopped. He didn’t know why he was scared to climb over, but something inside him was telling him not to do it. Steve ignored his brain and climbed the rock. His heart beat loudly in his chest as he saw something on the rock.

“YES!” Steve yelled excitedly. He realized he was probably loud so he dropped over the edge and ran over to the object.

Steve picked up what looked like a little scroll and unrolled it. It read, “18:30, 06/16”Steve realized it was in military time and that the date was today’s date. He smiled and shoved the note into his pocket. He would finally get to meet the face.

The rest of the day passed by slowly. Steve was getting antsy and didn’t have anything to do while he waited. Once it was 6:00, Steve grabbed his bag and ran out the door leaving a note to Peggy saying he would be home late. Steve jogged down the beach scared and excited for the meet up. As Steve was approaching the entrance, he stopped. He realized that maybe someone was messing with him or the note was for something else.

Steve almost turned around, but something told him to keep going. Steve sighed and checked his phone; he was still early. Steve landed in the sand and sat on his rock. The sun was still high in the sky and wouldn’t set for another hour or so. Steve waited and watched hoping for something to happen. He checked phone a few more times until it was finally 6:30.

Steve took a deep breath and watched as something started moving toward him in the water. Steve squinted and saw a head pop out of the water. It was him. Steve’s face turned white as the boy swam towards him. Once he reached the shore he pushed himself up onto a rock. Steve’s mouth fell open. The boy blushed and looked up to meet Steve’s eyes.

“Uh, hi. I’m Tony.”

Steve didn’t know what to say. In front of him was a real life merman…


	2. A Tail

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The italics are part of Steve's inner monologue type thing. I decided to play around with it a bit. Idk if it's working. ://

Steve stared at the boy, _Tony_ , with his mouth hanging open. He couldn’t comprehend anything that was happening: One minute mermaids were just stories and now there was one right in front of him. There was a ginormous smile plastered on his face.

All Steve could think to say was, “Is that fake?”

Tony looked down at his tail and looked back at Steve, “No, no. I don’t think so.”

Steve realized he was probably being rude, “Um, sorry. My name is Steve. I guess I’m just shocked because, well, I didn’t think you existed.” _Being rude?? There is no social etiquette for meeting a merman!_

“It’s okay. We are pretty secretive.” Tony shrugged and added, “Plus, you’re new around here.”

“How does everybody know?” Steve asked exasperated.

“Well, I like to watch humans and learn about their customs and I’ve never seen you before. You caught my eye.” He winked.

“Did you leave me this?” Steve asked grabbing the shell out of his bag. Tony nodded. “Well, I really like it. Thanks.” Steve began digging his nails into the palm of his other hand (a nervous tick he never grew out of).

“You’re welcome.” They sat in silence for a bit before Tony said, “I think I better explain myself.”

“That would be helpful.”

“Well, first things first, I’m Tony Stark. I’m a merman, if you couldn’t tell. I guess I decided to throw caution to the wave and expose myself to you.” Steve snickered at Tony’s funny way of talking. “What? What’s funny?”

“Nothing. Sorry. Please continue.” Steve really liked the way that Tony talked with his hands. _Man, that’s adorable._

“Okay, uh, I really like humans which is kinda a bad thing where I live cause mermaids aren’t supposed to talk to humans, only help them secretly. I’m a bit of a rebel.” Tony laughed and ran a hand through his hair. “Something drew me to you and I felt like I needed to meet you.”

  
Steve felt a blush crawl up his neck and made his cheeks hot. _Shit. Is he flirting?_  

Before Steve could stop himself he blurted out, “Can I touch it?”

Tony looked a bit shocked at the question, “Sure.”

Steve hopped off his rock and walked over to the Tony. He gently placed a hand on the end of his tail. It felt wet and scaley as Steve had expected. When he looked closer it was a deep red with gold flakes spread throughout.

“It’s beautiful.” Steve said as he admired the intricacy.

“Thank you.”

“Man if you told me a couple weeks ago that I’d be sitting here talking to a merman, I would have called you crazy.” Tony laughed at his comment and Steve smiled up at the boy. _Mmmmmm._

“Hey, I really liked that thing you made me.”

Steve’s daydream was interrupted, “The thing?”

“You left it on the rock..”

“Oh, my drawing?”

“Yes! It looked like me.”

“Yeah. I saw your face a couple weeks ago and couldn’t get it out of my head.”

Tony turned his face away and Steve could see the tips of his ears begin to turn red. Steve chuckled softly and pulled out his sketchbook.

“Here, look.” Steve opened the book to the pages of Tony’s face. He felt silly showing him, but Tony was genuinely interested. He smiled at all the pictures and insisted that Steve showed him others. They flipped through the book stopping when Tony didn’t recognize something human.

Tony and Steve talked for a few hours about their lives, interests, dreams. Tony was really into human science and engineering because of a rogue textbook on the beach. He said that his dad got mad and destroyed it when he found it. Tony looked sad recounting that story and Steve decided to try to get Tony another book. Steve found out that Tony was actually somewhat of an inventor and had been trying to build stuff to make communication with humans easier. Steve didn’t understand it much, but he liked hearing Tony talk.

Steve admitted he had become interested in the mermaid legends before he met Tony which prompted a lengthy explanation of the history of the merpeople. Steve got a chance to fawn over famous artists while Tony simply listened even though he didn’t really understand what Steve was saying.

“You’ve really never heard of Van Gogh or Monet?”

“Nope.”

Tony and Steve had moved onto the sand so Tony could put his tail in the water. Tony was lying down looking up at the stars while Steve was sitting cross-legged next to him staring at the horizon. It was dark now and the beach was quiet except for the waves.

“Well, they both were part of a movement called the impressionist movement in the late 19th century where people broke the mold of art and painted freely. That’s my favorite style of art. It’s so free and expressive and beautiful.”

“I guess you’ll have to show me some day.”

Steve paused and thought about how Tony expected to see Steve again. “Some day? Like after today?”

“Yeah. Unless you don’t want to.”

“No. I do. I just didn’t think we could cause, you know, your dad.” They had discussed Tony’s difficult family life and Steve realized that maybe their worlds weren’t so different after all.

“Whatever. I can sneak away. He knows I come up here. As long as he doesn’t know I’m with you, I’m fine.”

Steve sighed, “Today has been the weirdest day ever.”

Tony laughed. Steve really liked Tony’s laugh and his smile and his hair. _I want to see him every day._ Steve looked at his phone and saw that it was getting pretty late.

“Woah, you have one of those?”

“An iPhone? Yeah. Everyone has one.”

“Can I see it?”

“Yeah sure.” Steve handed Tony his phone who began playing around with every app. Tony had his back turned to Steve who simply stared at the back of Tony’s head feeling things he really hadn’t experienced before.

When Tony found the camera app the screen looked black. “How do I turn this on?”

“Oh, give it to me.” Tony handed the phone back to Steve who turned the flash on and said, “Smile!” The screen lit up and took a photo of the boys smiling like idiots. “I have to go.”

Tony’s face fell, “Aw. Okay.” Tony paused then asked,  “Uh, do you want to hang out again?”

Steve replied, perhaps too enthusiastically,“Yeah! Of course. Same time tomorrow?” _Ugh. I sound like an idiot!_

“Sure.”

“Well, do you need help getting back in?” Steve stood up and gestured towards the water.

“No, I’m okay.”

“Hey, Tony?”

“Yeah?”

“Can I tell Peggy?”

Tony paused for a second. “Not yet.”

“Oh. Okay. Sorry for asking.”

“Please don’t apologize. It’s fine.”

Steve thanked Tony again and started to walk away. Steve looked back and watched Tony disappear into the sea. Once he was back near Peggy’s, Steve started dancing and laughing. He couldn’t even tell if any of it was real or not.

That night Steve couldn’t fall asleep. As soon as he turned off his lights, his mind took off at the speed of light. Thoughts raced around in his brain not stopping until way past when Steve should have been asleep. Steve managed to finally drift off for a bit around 4:00 am.

A few hours passed and Steve woke up at sunrise. He threw on a shirt and took a run down the beach. He really needed to get the energy out of his system and Peggy wouldn’t be awake for another couple hours. He tried running in the opposite direction of the cove, but after about thirty minutes, Steve turned around and made his way back over.

He couldn’t help the urge to see if Tony was around or any sign that he had been. The waves had washed away any prints the boys left, but before Steve went on his run, he made sure to check to see if he still had the blurry photo of the two of them. Steve sighed a huge sigh of relief when he saw that it was still on his phone.

The cove was empty and sun was now high above the horizon. Steve remembered what Tony had said about loving human science and decided to take a trip into town.

Once all the stores opened, Steve made a  beeline for the book store and slipped in. The woman who owned the store popped out from behind a bookshelf.

“Steve! It’s so good to see you again.”

“Nice to see you too Mrs. Johnson.” Steve had bought some fancy pens when Peter took him to visit for the first time and ended up talking for awhile with Mrs. Johnson about her lost cat.

“What are you looking for today?”

“I was wondering how many books about science you had.”

“Any science in particular?”

“Anything with physics or engineering.”

Mrs. Johnson led Steve past the erotic novels and past the autobiographies to a small shelf in the back. There only a few books, but Tony would love them nonetheless.

“Thank you.”

“Of course dear.”

“Which way are the art books?”

“To your left and down three rows.”

“Thanks.”

Steve saw a book on the engineering of planes and cars. _He’ll probably like this. I hope._ Steve picked up the book and flipped through a couple pages. It seemed interesting enough (not like Steve could understand any of it), so he moved over to the art section.

The section was a lot larger than the other one. There were books on medieval, post modern, and religious art. Steve found a book that had a lot of impressionist paintings in it explaining the history of each one. Steve decided to splurge on the expensive art book and bought both.

When Steve got back home, Peggy was watching the news and eating cereal. She waved and Steve gave her an enthusiastic smile. Steve still had the whole day to try to keep himself busy, so he decided to work his stuff for the festival. Steve pulled out the easel he was borrowing and his paints and headed to the balcony. It was hot, but not unbearable so Steve put on some music and began painting. He had been working on a nice landscape of the ocean side but decided to add something.

Towards the left middle of the canvas Steve added a large rock in the ocean. On top he painted the red tail with gold flecks he seen last night. Steve was proud of his rendition, but was afraid of painting the rest of him. _What if I don’t remember him right?_

Steve decided to put that painting on hold until he saw Tony again and could take a picture instead of having to try to remember every detail. He moved on to some charcoal drawings and other smaller pieces he was doing (at Sandy’s request). Thankfully this distracted him for a few more hours until mid afternoon. Steve was getting really excited for seeing Tony again, but had to make sure to keep it on the down low. He didn’t want to go and ruin it with his stupid crush or reveal his plans.

Steve was bringing his art inside when he got a call from his best friend.

“Hey Steve! Guess what!!” Steve could practically hear Bucky jumping up and down.

“Wow Buck, you sound excited. What’s up?”  
  
“I just told you to guess.”

“Oh, um. You got a girlfriend?”

“What? No. Please.”

“I have no idea.”

“Pull out the sunblock and save me a spot on the beach because I’m comin’ to California!”

Steve was stopped in his tracks and the blood drained from his face. It wasn’t that he didn’t want Bucky there, it was the fact that now he also had a mermaid friend that he couldn’t tell Bucky about and the whole situation would become ten times more complicated than it already was.

“O-o-hh. That’s so cool Buck. Wow. I would have never guessed that.”

“Yeah I’m coming in a week and stayin’ for a few weeks. Get ready for surfing and babes. I can’t wait.”

“M-Me either. U-u-um who are you staying with?”

“Some family friend. Her name’s Natasha Romanoff. Her parents and my parents are friends from college or whatever. She said she has seen you around, but didn’t know you were my friend.”

“Oh. I have no idea what she looks like.”

“She’s a redhead. Our age. Skinny, but also has a nice ass.”

“Really?” Steve said rolling his eyes.

“Hey, it’s true!”

“Maybe I’ve seen her. I don’t remember, but I’ll keep an eye out.”

“Awesome. Well, I gotta go. My parents still forced me to do summer school and I have homework as if I didn’t leave school.”

“As always.”

“Of course. Anyway, see you soon.”

“Yeah. See you soon.”

“Bye, Jerk.”

“Punk.”

Steve hung up the phone and sat down on his bed. There was no way he could tell Bucky, but there was also no way he could lie for weeks to Bucky’s face. Steve groaned and fell back onto his pillows. _How can this be happening?_

Steve worried and fussed over the whole thing until he thought his head would explode. The time came for him to meet Tony. He let Peggy know he was leaving, grabbed his books, grabbed a small beach chair, and began walking down the beach. He was worried, but also wanted to ask Tony’s opinion on the whole thing. Steve made sure to check to see if anyone was following and hopped over the rock. He landed on the sand and set up his beach chair and began reading his art book.

Tony was a bit late, but appeared with a huge smile on his face.

“Hi Steve!” Tony said in a bubbly voice.

“Hey. So I got some good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?”

“Um, I guess the bad news so the good news will be better.”

“Well, my friend is coming into town in a week.”

Tony paused, “How is that bad news?”

“Well, it probably means we won’t get to see each other until he leaves.”

“Oh.” Tony still looked confused, “Why?”

“Well, I can’t tell him about you and he can tell if I’m lying over the phone so we’re in a bit of a situation.”

“Oh, I see. Umm, I guess we’ll have to come up with something then.”

“Yeah.” Steve sighed and remembered the book. “Oh, good news now. So I was thinking about what you said last night and I had some time to kill this morning so I got you something.” Steve handed the book to Tony who examined the front cover.

Tony’s face lit up and he threw the book open. “Steve! This is amazing! Ahh!” Steve blushed and stared at his lap. Tony continued his excitement, “I don’t even know what these are, but they are soooo cool!”

Steve laughed and responded, “These are cars and planes. We humans use them to get places.”

“Oh, the ones that fly in the air?”

“Some of them.”

“How do they do that?”

“It’ll tell you in the book.”

“No way!”

“Yeah!” Steve laughed at Tony’s innocence and wonder. It was becoming hard to ignore how much Steve liked Tony’s smile or laugh, but he pushed down.

Tony’s face fell, “How am I going to keep it? It’ll get ruined underwater.”

Steve was quick to come up with an idea, “I can keep it for you. I’ll bring it to you when you want. Or maybe…” Steve trailed off, but thought of an idea. “Are there any underwater caves around here that you know of?”

Tony thought for a second, “Yeah. Why?”

“Well, what if you take in the book in a water proof container and keep it there? Just read it above water and put it back when you are done. It’ll stay safe in the container and you can read it.” Steve added, “Oh, and your dad probably won’t be looking in any caves any time soon so there’s that.”

Tony scooted over to Steve and pulled him into a hug that caused both the boys to fall into the sand, tangled in each other’s arms. They laughed and stayed like that for a little bit.

“You are so smart, Steve. I don’t know how you do it.”

“Eh, I’ve just seen movies.”

“Well, I don’t really know what those are, but they made you really smart.”

Steve laughed and replied, “Man, I wish you could come on land and see the world. You would love it. I know I’ve gotten used to it cause that’s my life, but it’s really cool sometimes.”

Even though Steve knew that for anyone else, lying on top of one another with their arms around each other would be considered romantic, Tony didn’t know human etiquette or social cues or anything of that sort. So this was normal and Steve didn’t mind at all.

Out of the blue, Tony suddenly asked, “Do humans have partners?”

“Partners?”

“Someone they spend their life with. That they love?” Steve’s hear stopped. _Why is he asking this question??_

“Um, yeah. I mean sometimes it’s called a partner, but most of the time it’s called either a boyfriend or girlfriend or wife or husband. These days, those words often don’t even guarantee they’ll stay together.”

“That’s cool. We do too. Just wondering.”

Steve and Tony shifted to a more comfortable position where they were both lying on the sand watching the sun set. The conversation was over as quickly as it started and they began talking about the situation with Bucky; neither could come up with a solution.

“Okay so this is going to sound really stupid, but is there such thing as magic? Like any form? Ever?”

Tony looked at Steve, “Yeah. You guys don’t have that?”

Steve blinked and said, “Um, no. No. Magic is technically not a real thing on land.”

“Well that’s boring.”

“Tell me about it.”

“Well there are different kinds-. Why are you laughing?”

“Sorry. ‘Tell me about it’ is just a figure of speech. I mean I want you to tell me about it, but when I said that, it was rhetorical.”

“Oh. My bad.”

“No, I think it’s cute.” Steve froze. He did _not_ mean to say that. _Shit shit shit shit._

“Thanks,” Tony replied coolly. Tony seemed so unbothered by Steve’s blatant mess up that Steve was almost sad. He didn’t even flinch or blush or anything.  

“Um, anyway. My thought on the whole magic thing was that in this movie called _The Little Mermaid_ , this mermaid goes to a sea witch who gives her legs so she could go on land to find the boy that she loved and it was fun. I mean she lost her voice and in the actual story it ends badly, but is there anything like that?”

“I don’t actually know. I could ask some people who dabble with it. Why?”

“Well, if you could become human just for a week or something, maybe we could hang out while Bucky was here. I mean we would only be able to see so much, but we’d still get to see a good amount.”

“That’s sounds amazing, Steve! I would love that.”

Steve fiddled with his sweatshirt, “And um, it might seem boring, but there is an art show to raise money for the local school and they asked me to make some art for it. I don’t know if you want to come and see it or whatever. You don’t have to if you don’t want to-”

“Steve,” Tony put a hand on Steve’s arm. Electricity sparked where their skin touched, and his heart was beating one hundred miles per hour, “Don’t worry. I want to come see your art. If it’s anything like that drawing you left me, it sounds amazing. I’ll see what I can work out.”

“Awesome.”

“So what do you want to do?” Steve had begun to notice that Tony had a very short attention span and liked to jump from thing to thing and never stay too long on one topic. _At least the conversation isn’t dull._

“What do you mean?”

“Well, we have a few hours until you need to leave and we solved the problem with your friend.” Tony had been implying that they should do something to kill the time.

Tony and Steve settled on asking questions back and forth. Some very personal, some very shallow. Steve said things that no one had ever heard except Bucky. He wasn’t worried about telling Tony because they pretty much lived in different worlds so it wasn’t like his secrets could get out. Plus, Tony was trustworthy. He had secrets himself. At times they were extremely serious and Tony would make direct eye contact with Steve that would make his heart skip a beat. Other times they were giggling at something stupid and light hearted.

The conversation had switched tones from what the function of a dog was to relationships.

“So, do you have a partner down there in your sea city?”

“Me? No way. I’ve always got my head in the bubbles and no one wants to hear me ramble about humans. My dad keeps trying to set me up with some mermaids, but every one he picks is so… boring.” Tony was staring at a sea crab making its way down the beach. “How about you?”

“Well, no girlfriend. Or boyfriend for that matter. I used to be pretty small and sickly looking. No one was really interested back then. Now that I grew and play sports, girls start to notice, but it’s all superficial.”

“Tell me about it.” Tony paused, “Did I use it right?”

“Yeah. Good job.”

“Thanks.” Tony shifted a little. “So what are human customs when it comes to partners? Or girlfriends or boyfriends?”

“What do you mean? Like how do they work?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh, um. Well traditionally it usually starts with two people who like each other. And not like in the sense that they are friends, but like their smile and the way they look and want to be with them a lot. One usually tells the other person and they get asked on a date.”

“Sounds interesting. What else?”

“Then, you and the person you like do things together alone, usually, and you get to know the other person and have fun. First dates are always scary because you never know what will happen or what you will learn about the other person.”

“Huh. I think it would be fun.”

“It usually is.”

“What else is there?”

“Well, after a few dates, if the people find that they and the other person work well together and you still like them, you officially start the relationship. There’s more dates, hand holding, kissing, stuff like that. Sometimes it lasts long, sometimes not. Sometimes people even get married.”

“That’s where the fancy title comes in.”

“Exactly.”

“Our customs are like that in some ways. Yours seems more fun. I like relationship stuff.”

Steve smiled at Tony who just smiled back. _I wish we could do all that stuff together. I don’t even care if he’s a merman. Whatever._

The night passed quickly and Steve was back at home knowing a lot more about Tony than the night before. He was happy. _Really_ happy. Giddy even.

For the next week, Steve hung out with Tony most days depending on when he was free. He showed Tony some movies on his tiny phone screen and promised that movie theatres were much better. They watched every genre there was, including some romantic movies. Tony payed attention the most during those and seemed to be making mental notes as he watched.

Steve also brought Tony some human food to try which Tony ended up loving so much that Steve started bringing food to all their hangouts. Steve was really falling for Tony, but he couldn’t tell if Tony felt the same way at all.

Tony learned that he could become human for a week, but it would take a little while to track down someone who could do it. Steve was beyond excited when he found out, but made sure to play it down so Tony wouldn’t get freaked out.

Monday night came around and Bucky was scheduled to land in half an hour. Steve had promised to meet him and Natasha for dinner when he came in so Steve had to cut his time with Tony short.

Tony had his tail in the water and Steve lying down with his knees bent. They were sitting shoulder to shoulder admiring the sunset.

“I wish you didn’t have to leave.” Tony said solemnly.

“I’m sorry. I promised Bucky. I can’t break a promise.”

“I guess. Has Bucky ever been your boyfriend?” Tony asked sheepishly.

“Bucky? Never! He’s like a brother to me. I’ve known him since we were little. I don’t think that would ever happen.”

“That’s good.”

Steve stopped breathing for a second, “Um, why is that good?”

Tony realized what he had said and moved away from Steve, his face was clearly red, “Wow, um, I did not mean that. I’m sorry. I just say things sometimes and I didn’t know what I was thinking. I mean, I probably will like Bucky and I bet he’s a really great friend. I guess I just meant that it’s good that you guys have such a good friendship. I’m sorry.”

“Tony, it’s okay. You didn’t offend me or anything.”

Tony sighed and picked up the bag of chocolate chip cookies and grabbed one. He took a big bite and turned to face the water again. After a few seconds of chewing, Tony scooted back over to Steve. His face was still pink with the blush.

The boys sat in silence. The waves lapped lazily over them. Steve had been zoning out when he felt something: soft fingers laced their way through his own and gripped his hand. Steve’s head shot down to where he saw Tony’s hand intertwined with his own. He felt a small tingle creep it’s way up his arm and into his whole body. He looked up to meet Tony’s golden eyes. Steve tried saying something a few times, but words wouldn’t come out of his mouth.

_Maybe he thinks this doesn’t mean anything. Maybe I’m making this more than it is. Shit._

Steve’s thoughts were interrupted by a sudden phone alarm. He pulled his hand away from their embrace and saw that he needed to leave in order to make it to dinner on time.

“I’m so so sorry, Tony.”

“Steve-”

“I have to go.”

“When will I see you again?”

Steve paused, “Meet me here. Sunday, midnight.”

Steve ran before he could get an answer. His heart was beating fast and he couldn’t think straight. He made his way to the house where Peggy would be waiting to go. She had been invited to come along since she knew Natasha.

“Well, took you long enough. Let’s go.”

They got into the car and sped off down the road. Steve was still thinking about what Tony had done. He didn’t know how to interpret it. The good news was that Tony wanted to see him again. The bad news was that holding hands might mean nothing to Tony. _Who even knows at this point???_

When the approached the restaurant Steve saw a small redhead and long brown hair that Steve knew well.

“Bucky!”

“Steve!”

The world felt strange.

Bucky held the door open for everyone and said, “Let’s eat!”


End file.
